Current Notices

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The Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice describe, in broad terms, the expected level of performance of all RPNs. The standards provide a guide to the knowledge, skills, values, judgment, and attitudes that are needed to support competent, safe, and ethical psychiatric nursing practice. The purpose of the review is to ensure the document remains relevant and is reflective of current psychiatric nursing practice.

Consultants who respond to the RFP will be knowledgeable about psychiatric nursing practice and the regulation of health professionals in Canada. They will also have excellent communication skills, and experience in policy development, project management, stakeholder engagement, facilitating consultations and data collection, data analysis surveys, report writing and public presentation. For full details, click here.

Please go into My Record and renew your registration before it expires on February 28, 2018. Instructions on how to renew your registration, as well as frequently asked questions, can be found on our renewal webpage.

Any health authorities who require assistance on a similar issue from CRPNBC, between December 22, 2017 and January 2, 2018, please contact Fiona Ramsay, Registrar/Director of Operations at [email protected]

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of B.C. (CLPNBC), the College of Registered Nurses of B.C. (CRNBC) and College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of B.C. (CRPNBC) are working with government to co-create a new nursing body that will replace our existing colleges.

Currently, having three colleges means nurses in B.C. may be subject to different regulatory requirements, including quality assurance, registration and standards of practice. A new college will be able to make the regulatory process simpler by setting consistent standards for nurses across the province while respecting the differences between nursing disciplines.

The creation of a single nursing regulator also strengthens our three colleges’ commitment to accessibility, and ensures that nursing regulation in British Columbia is collaborative and cohesive, and supports nurses to deliver the best care possible.

We are currently doing some work on our database system, which may affect the email notifications applicants and registrants receive from CRPNBC when they:

submit applications

make changes in My Record, and

submit their annual Continuing Competence Review form

Delivery of these emails may be delayed, may be routed to junk mail folders, or may not arrive at all. We are working to resolve this issue. We apologize for this inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.

CRPNBC is seeking a team of evaluators (minimum 2 members) to review a psychiatric nursing education program in British Columbia. The review will be carried out under the direction of the CRPNBC Registration Committee, in accordance with the CRPNBC Recognition Process for Psychiatric Nursing Educational Programs. Please click here for further information, including how to apply. Applications will be accepted until October 26, 2017.

The CRPNBC Professional Standards for Psychiatric Nursing have been updated with a new indicator which re-states, in clear language, the positive responsibility placed upon Practicing registrants to maintain their own fitness to practice. This can be found in Standard #3: Professional Responsibility, indicator #8.

More information about this new indicator and what it means for RPNs is available on CRPNBC’s website. Please visit our new webpage, Fitness to Practice.

The inaugural Forum of Canadian Nurse Regulators was held July 6 in historic Montreal, Quebec.

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs), and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPNs) regulators met for the first ever gathering of nurse regulators in Canada to learn more about the Canadian Council for Practical Nurse Regulators (CCPNR), Canadian Council for Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) and the Registered Psychiatric Nurse Regulators of Canada (RPNRC) and to exchange knowledge and information.

Common priorities and issues were explored as potential opportunities for nurse regulators to work together in the public’s interest.

CRPNBC was one of 23 different health profession regulators in BC who came together with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) to participate in a Blanket Ceremony. Here’s the story as described by the FNHA.

In September 2017 the terms for three CRPNBC board members will expire. Registrants will need to elect three RPNs to fill the upcoming vacancies. Nominations are open until June 16, 2017. Ballots will be mailed to registrants by July 14 and must be returned to the office by August 11, 2017. The nomination form and an outline of the election process can be found here.

During Nursing Week CRPNBC would like to recognize the expertise, dedication, and hard work of RPNs in B.C. Your commitment to caring, health promotion, and illness prevention makes a vital contribution to the mental health of the residents in B.C.

The staff at CRPNBC will be attending nurse appreciation week celebrations on May 9th for the VCH Vancouver Community Event at VanDusen Gardens (Floral Hall) from 2:00-4:00 pm and at Vancouver Hospital on May 11th from 9:00 am -2:00 pm. We look forward to seeing you.

This year’s AGM will be held from 12 – 1pm both in person, at 2502 St. Johns Street, Port Moody (Conference room next to unit 208), and via webinar. Please let us know if you will be attending the AGM in person via email to [email protected] or fax: 604.931.5277 by Tuesday, May 31, 2016. Light lunch provided. The agenda includes the reports from the Board of Directors, the Registrar, and our auditor.

Webinar access: 1. Log in to the webinar for the visual presentation at https://crpnbc.adobeconnect.com/agm/ 2. Dial 1-877-314-1234 and enter code 3141418# for the oral presentation.

On March 1, 2017, CRPNBC was one of 23 health profession regulators in BC to pledge its commitment to making our health system more culturally safe for First Nations and Aboriginal People. The commitment reflects the priority need to address systemic racism and discrimination towards First Nations People that can result in inappropriate treatment and barriers to access.

In signing the Declaration of Commitment, CRPNBC and the other health regulators are signalling an expectation of change among health professionals so that all indigenous and aboriginal peoples will experience the culturally safe and effective care they deserve. The declaration consists of three main pillars:

creating a climate for change

engaging and enabling stakeholders

implementing and sustaining change

Cultural safety is already an entry level competency expected of RPNs, but the aim is to embed culturally safe practices in all aspects of health profession regulation. The Declaration commits the health regulators to report on progress through annual reports, outlining strategic activities and accountability measures. The Declaration is endorsed by the First Nations Health Authority and the Ministry of Health.

The document Scope of Practice for RPNs: Standards, Limits and Conditions has been revised and is effective Feb. 28, 2017. The revised document includes the scope of practice standard Autonomous Scope of Practice and Client-specific Orders, and new terms and visuals to reinforce the concepts. Other revisions include:

Changes to the limits and conditions on giving client-specific orders.

Changes to limits and conditions on some section 6 and 7 restricted activities; specifically changes in the wording or removal of limits and conditions related to stable clients, established care needs, physiological conditions expected to follow an anticipated path, and well established sites. See Limits and Conditions on Restricted Activities.

In September 2016, the three BC nursing regulators (CRPNBC, CRNBC and CLPNBC) invited stakeholders to take a survey about the three colleges joining to form one nursing college. We received almost 2,400 responses from nurses, staff and other stakeholders. The survey results have provided us with valuable and sufficient feedback to move forward with the creation of one nursing regulator while keeping stakeholders’ concerns in mind. We invite you to learn more by reading the summary report here.

January 4, 2017 marks the launch of the Nursing Community Assessment Service (NCAS), a new assessment service for internationally educated health practitioners (IEPs) applying to register in British Columbia. Effective immediately, the NCAS assessment replaces the Substantially Equivalent Competence (SEC) assessment used by CRNBC for RN applicants.

NCAS provides competence-based assessments that evaluate the skills of an IEP applicant against competencies required for entry-level practice in the province. If gaps are identified, it will assist in determining what education is required to transition to practice in B.C.

NCAS is a collaborative effort by:

BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry (the “Registry”)

College of Licensed Practical Nurses of BC (CLPNBC)

College of Registered Nurses of BC (CRNBC)

College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of BC (CRPNBC), and the

Ministry of Health.

The NCAS Assessment Process

The NCAS assessment process provides IEPs with the opportunity to demonstrate their nursing competencies that may not be reflected in an assessment solely based on their education. The assessment has three parts:

Computer-based component

Simulation Lab component

Oral Clinical Decision-making component

The computer-based component can be written in more than 100 countries around the world, while the simulation lab and oral assessment are offered at Langara College in Vancouver. For information about the three components, please see www.ncasbc.ca.

CRPNBC is pleased to announce the latest practice standard – Duty to Provide Care. This practice standard outlines the RPNs responsibilities for the provision and withdrawal of care. This practice standard can be found under Nursing Standards & Resources, Practice Standards, and takes effect immediately.

The following increase to registration fees will be in effect from March 1, 2017 (with all other fees remaining as is):

Practicing registration: from $430 to $460 per year

Interim registration: from $35 to $38 per month

Employed Student registration: from $35 to $38 per month

Those on a Pre-Authorized Debit plan will see an additional $30 charge in February 2017 to cover the increased fee. Starting in March 2017, the monthly charge will be $38.33, with a debit of $38.37 in the 12th month.

Even with the increase, CRPNBC fees will continue to be the lowest of the RPN regulators in Canada, and lower than most RN regulators.

We’re introducing a new scope of practice standard for RPNs and updates to two existing standards to reflect changes in regulation and introduce a new concept: giving client-specific orders. But don’t panic! These scope standards are not coming in effect until Feb. 28, 2017. Learn more about timelines and what this means for you here.

Recently, senior staff from CRPNBC, CRNBC and CLPNBC met with the leadership team of the College of Nurses of Ontario to discuss opportunities for collaboration in our regulatory work. Click here for more details.

On June 9, 2016, the CRPNBC Board of Directors made the decision to place a temporary limit on medical assistance in dying as follows:

At this time, RPNs must not participate in or support medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and any related activities, whether self-administered or administered by a Medical Practitioner.

More information can be found in the Nursing Standards and Resources section of our website here. CRPNBC plans to engage in a review and consultation process regarding the role of RPNs in MAiD and will keep registrants updated.

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of B.C. (CRPNBC), the College of Registered Nurses of B.C. (CRNBC) and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of B.C. (CLPNBC) are excited to announce we are all working toward forming a common regulatory body to replace our existing organizations.

A report, completed by Western Management Consultants (WMC) earlier this year, confirms a number of benefits of forming a single nursing college. This business case was commissioned by our boards to explore the advantages, risks and benefits of forming a single regulatory body.

In the coming months, CRPNBC, CRNBC and CLPNBC will be launching a consultation process to get feedback from the nursing community and other stakeholders.

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of BC (CRPNBC) and the College of Registered Nurses of BC (CRNBC) recently wrote together to the Minister of Health to advise him that the two organizations will be exploring next steps in the development of a new regulatory body for RPNs, RNs and NPs to replace the current organizations.

As communicated earlier (see the December 14, 2015 announcement here) CRPNBC, CRNBC and the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of BC (CLPNBC) engaged in the development of an exploratory business case to look at the advantages, risks and benefits of considering a new regulatory organization for all nurses, while maintaining the distinct professional roles and designations of each discipline. That exercise confirmed that working towards a common regulatory body would allow us to better and more efficiently serve the public interest.

At this stage, CRPNBC and CRNBC are moving to the next step: to engage in stakeholder dialogue and to partner with government as we work towards this goal. More information about the Colleges’ efforts will be provided to registrants, the public and our stakeholders, as the work unfolds. We look forward to engaging with all of you as we explore this possibility. Please stay tuned to our newsletters and websites for updates on our progress.

“There are also many nursing activities that RPNs do not carry out because they do not fall within the scope of psychiatric nursing – such as carrying out cardiac stress tests or ECGs.”

However, CRPNBC has since learned that there is at least a small group of RPNs who carry out ECGs with additional education from the employer. So as not to restrict current RPN practice at this time, CRPNBC removed the words “or ECGs” from the document until we have had an opportunity to conduct a review and consultation process regarding ECGs and whether any limits or conditions on this practice are appropriate.

If you have any questions or currently do ECGs in a setting other than Children’s and Women’s Hospital, please contact Colleen Calderwood, CRPNBC Practice Manager at [email protected].

The new Scope document contains most of the existing RPN scope of practice but also has additional information, including the new restricted activities from the Regulation and the related CRPNBC standards, limits and conditions.

Until March 17, 2016 RPNs continue with existing RPN scope of practice and do not implement new practice, including the new restricted activities. As per the controls on RPN practice, RPNs need to comply with all employer policies regarding their practice; in the absence of employer policies, RPNs need to contact their employer. Registrants who have questions about the new Regulation or RPN scope of practice should contact the CRPNBC office or Colleen Calderwood at [email protected].

On December 3, 2015, the government brought into effect revised nursing regulations for BC nurses – a much awaited and welcome event! The new regulations define and clarify the scopes of practice and restricted activities for each nursing group, including RPNs. Click here for a joint announcement from the three BC nursing regulators providing more information.

Although a new regulation for RPNs is now in effect, the existing RPN scope of practice continues until CRPNBC has communicated any changes. This will be done initially in a Scope of Practice document that CRPNBC plans to publish in the new year after the end of January.

CRPNBC continues to explore opportunities for collaboration with CRNBC and CLPNBC. The 3 colleges have retained WMC consultancy to do a preliminary business case study that explores the formation of one nursing regulator in BC, while retaining each nursing discipline. The purpose is to obtain more information to determine if one nursing regulator makes financial and regulatory sense. The report, expected to be completed in early 2016, will serve as a starting point for more discussions. If we go further down this road, CRPNBC is committed to consulting stakeholders and providing timely updates.

Effective March 1, 2016, CRPNBC will no longer provide Practicing registration to RPNs working in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, with one exception. Click here for more information about this change.

On April 25, 2015, the Boards of the three nursing regulators (CLPNBC, CRNBC and CRPNBC) met to discuss our ongoing collaboration, and how to best consolidate our relationship for maximum benefits and impact.

As a member of the Health Profession Regulators of BC, we are pleased to participate in the public awareness campaign “Care Safe Trust”. Below is a public service announcement that will be shown over the next twelve months on Global TV. Also, for those in independent practice, here is a flyer that can be distributed to clients. If you are employed, please first obtain employer consent before using the flyer.

When recommended by a dietician as part of a therapeutic diet, pharmacists may release Schedule III and unscheduled drugs and nurses may administer them. Click here for the full joint statement issued by the Colleges of Dieticians, LPNs, Pharmacists, RNs and RPNs.